Typographical distributing machine



May 19, 1953 F. HAHN TYPOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed OCt. 26, 1949 IN VEN TOR A TTORNE YS May 19, 1953 F. HAHN 2,639,026

TYPOGRAPHICAL mswmsu'rmc MACHINE Filed Oct. 26, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 v v INVENTOR BY W 1% May 19, 1953 H 2,639,026

TYPOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 26, 1949 v 3 Sheets-Shea"; 5

% INVENTOR BY 1 I TTORNEYS Patented May 19, 1953 2,639,026 TYPOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Frederick Hahn, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to Mergenthal'er Linotype Company, a corporation of New York Application October 26, 1949,,Serial No. 123,586

9 Claims, (01. 199'-' 36) This invention relates to typographical composing and distributing machines, such as Linotype machines of the general organization represented in U. S. Letters Patent to O. Mergenthaler No. 436,532, wherein circulating matrices are released from a magazine in theorder in which their characters areto appear in print and then composed in line together with expansible spacebands, the composed line justified between a pair of line clamping jaws in front of a slotted mold, the mold filled with molten metal to form a slug or type bar against the matrices, and the matrices and spacebands thereafter elevated and returned through distributing and transfer mechanisms to their respective storage magazines. V

For the printing of job work, advertising and book work, these machines are equipped with so-called hair spaces, which are inserted by hand between adjacent matrices as a line is being composed so as to insure a definite line spread at the time of justification, or to afford the proper Spacing between the individual characters of a word, as for example when caps instead of lower case characters are demanded. v

The hair spaces in thickness range upwardly from .0035" to .021" and are formed, like the matrices, with upper and lower projecting .ears

so that they may receive proper support fromthe horizontal rails of the assembler, the first elevator and the intermediate channel inth'eir course of travel through themachine. However,

while the hair spaces, like the matrices, also are.

to drop out of the line into a quad box or tray which projects forwardly from the lower wall 'of the channel. In commercialmachines, and for well known reasons, thereceiving'end portion-of the second elevator bar extends an inch or more beyond the left end wall of the quad boxor tray,

so that hair spaces which may occupy positions near the, following end of the shifted line will, in dropping, frequently fail to enter the quad box and fall out of the transfer channel into the ad- 7 jacent parts of the machine, causing damage to said parts or interruption in the normal operation of the machine, not to mention the loss of time and trouble involved in rectifying the trouble. I

To overcome these and other difilculties, the upper transfer channel, according to the present invention, is equipped with safety means in the form of a pair of inclined guide rails attached to the opposed side walls of the channel near the receiving end thereof in position to engage the hair spaces by their projecting ears as they drop out of the composed line at different points above the rails and direct them into the quad box or tray.

' Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a Linotype machine equipped with the present improvements and showing a composed line in process of being shifted from the first elevator into the upper transfer channel;

Fig. 2 is a similar View, partly in section and broken away to show more clearly the present improvements, but showing the composed line being lifted by the second elevator bar from the upper transfer channel;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through the upper transfer channel, showing in broken lines the course the hair spaces are caused to take under the influence of the inclined guide rails; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the upper transfer channel to show more clearly. the location of the inclined guide rails in said channel and the position they occupy in relation to the usual horizontal deflecting rail and the quad box.

' As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the matrices :c,

together with the spacebands y are composed in line in an assembler 3 against the upstanding line resistant finger 4 of ahorizontal assembler slide 5 by the operation of a keyboard (not shown), and when the line is completely composed, the assembler is raised to position the line between a pair of depending fingers 5 of a horizontallyl disposed delivery slide 1, which thereupon moves to the left to carry the line into a first elevator or transporter 8 through an intermediate chan-- nel 8, the active stroke of said slide being positively limited so that the last matrix in the line will be carried to a position behind the usual-retaining pawls of the elevator and located approximately five eighths of an inch from the re- 1 ceiving end thereof. The elevator then descends to position the composed line between a pair of I clamping jaws 0 for justification preparatory to the slug casting operation. After casting, the elevator 8 rises to its uppermost level, where it is arrested by a fixed overhanging structure ll of the machine frame in endwise alignment with an upper transfer channel I2, th latter being sufficiently Wide to snugly accommodate the overall width of the matrices r of the composed line and sufliciently high or deep to accommodate the elongated wedge-shaped sections of the spacebands y. Meanwhile, or about the time the elevator 8 arrives at the upper transfer level, a second elevator l3 will have descended to a position of rest upon the top surfaces of the front and rear side walls 4 and iii ofthe upper transfer channel It and thus locate its horizontal toothed bar i8 in line with the tooth combinations 1: of the matrices. horizontally to the right into the upper transfer channel I2 by the active strok of a transfer slide. 11, which operation is effected as usual in two stages, one to engage all of the matrices of the line with the toothed bar It ofthe second elevator [3,. and the other (which takes place as the matrices of the composed line are lifted out of the. channel E2) in conjunction with a hookshaped. member or spaceband gripper (not shown) Said spaceband gripper is movablehorizontally in the opposite direction, operating, first,..to gather the spacebands together in the transfer channel against the restraining influence offa depending finger it of the slide H and, then, to shift. them. into their storage box or magazine HI as the transfer slide completes its return stroke. For the sake of clearness, it may be stated in this connection that the spacebands y of acomposed line upon entering. the upper transfer channel. I 2.will.be sustained therein, as-shown' in Fig- 2,. by the engagement'of their projecting ears. 11 with a pair of horizontal rails 20 extending along the upper. edges of the. vertical side walls l t and I5 of the transfer channel and leadingto the storagebox 19.

f The spacebands at their lower extremities (Fig. 2) are formed, as usual, with centrally located vertical slots or notches 14 adapted to engage a horizontal guide rail 2! rising. from the bottom wall of the transfer channel it! midway between the side walls. thereof, and intended to prevent twisting or turning of the bands during their passage through said channel. It also may be mentioned that the receiving. end of the second elevator bar it, at the moment immediately preceding the transfer operation, will be disposed in juxtaposition to the last matrix or a. composed line standing in the elevator 2 so. that during. the

transfer operation the tooth combinations of all. matrices in the line may properly engage the teeth of said bar before the matrices lose their purchase upon the supporting rails of the eleva tor.

As thus far described, the parts, their construction and mode of operation are or may bev be the same as those embodied in commercial Linotype machines and in themselves constitute no part of the present improvements.

As previously stated, when the use of hair spaces is required, they may in certain instances be. inserted between most or all adjacent matrices of a composed line to insure proper justification thereof to the desired length without incurring a wider spacing than that demanded between the words. Among the many other instances where the hair spaces may be employed advantageously, is one and probably the most common, where 8 pt. to 10 pt. caps are selected to make The composed. line now is shifted.

up a composed line and the hair spaces are used to increase the space normall existing between certain adjacent characters of the line in order to balance the wider space normally existing between other adjacent characters.

The hair spaces 2 (Figs. 3 and 4) are formed with upper and lower projecting ears 2 and 2 respectively, corresponding. to the usual projecting ears x and x of the matrices cc and which serve to support the spaces during their travel through the machine when inserted in the composed line until the latter, after the casting operat-i'on, is shifted endwise from the first elevator 8.- into the upper. transfer channel i2. While the-matrices; in. the. line by this transfer operation will receive support from the second elevator bar Hi through the medium of their tooth combinations 0: in the manner already stated, the-hair spaces a, being without tooth combinations but having plain l-shaped notches 2 in their upper edges,.will clear. the bar it and drop downwardly into the upper transfer channel I2. As, the spaces in dropping approach the bottom. Wall of the channel. 12', their lower rear project.- ing, ears. 2 engage araill-lihe shoulder 22; formed? on the rear. side wallofjthe channel l2,.said'sh0ulder in conjunction with the spaceband? guide rail 21 previously described serving to tilt the falling, spaces. edgewise forwardly through a rectangular opening 25 formed in the front side wall of the channel and into a so-called quad box or tray 24. The tray 24' (Fig. 3), having. vertical. end walls 2'6 and. 21,. is attached to. the lower front portion 28 of the channel frame through the medium of a bracket member 29., which latter presents an inclined surface 39' leading from the bottom wall of the channel f2 to the open rear side of the tray and serving appropriately to guide the spaces directly into thetray 24;. However, and due. to manufacturing reasons, the: left side wall 26 of the tray or quad box is located, as indicated. by the broken vertical line m in Fig. 2,. approximately one-half inch to the right of the leftmost matrix in a composed line after transfer to the horizontal toothed bar N5 of the second elevator. As a result, hair spaces that may and frequently do occupy positions between such terminal matrices will not be directed into the quad box or tray 24.

. but'will either become lodged atthe bottom of the transfer channel [2 or f'all'therefrom into adjacent parts of the machine.

In order to overcome the foregoing objection, it is proposed, according to the presentinvention,

- to control these particular hair spaces in such manner that,.asthey drop out of the matrix line, they too will be caused to enter the tray or quad box 21). just as if they occupied more favorable positions. To. this end, the upper transfer channel. [2, near the entrance thereto, is provided with a pair of downwardly inclined guide rails 3| and 32 formed on or otherwise secured respectively to the inner faces of the opposing side walls l4' and t5; At their upper ends, the rails 31 and 32, for. reasons presently to appear, are formed with relatively short horizontal extensions 33' arranged soas to just clear the lower edges of matrices and hair spaces of a composed line as the latter is, shifted from. the first elevator 8.

into the channel l2. At their lower ends, and as best shown in. Figs. 2 and 4, both rails terminate at points slightly beyond the adjacent end wall. 26 of the quad box, the rail. 32 at its lower extremity merging with. the rail-like shoulder 22 of the rear. side wall I'd of the transfer channel.v

and the rail 3| having its lower extremity -(Fig. 4) disposed in flush relation to the contiguous end wall of the rectangular opening 25 of the channel frame.

It will now be seen, according to the arrangement just described and as indicated in Fig. 2, that spaces in dropping from that portion of a composed line nearest the receiving end of the second elevator bar IE will engage the inclined guide rails 3| and 32 by their projecting ears 2 and 2 and be directed thereby downwardly in the upper transfer channel beyond the vertical plane m, which passes through the end wall 26 of the quad box or :tray 24, until they engage the deflecting shoulder 22 on the rear wall of the channel. Thereupon, they are tilted edgewise forwardly and caused to enter the tray in precisely the same manner (already described) as the hair spaces dropping from other positions in the com: posed line.

The horizontal extensions 33 of the guide rails 3| and 32 serve to sustain any of the hair spaces that may become loose in the matrix line during the transfer operation or have a tendency to drop prematurely, but they serve another most useful purpose, namely, to straighten up the spacebands if they happen to enter the upper transfer channel at an inclination or in a twisted position, thus ensuring proper alignment of the notches in their lower ends with the horizontal guide rail 2| in the bottom wall of the channel. To facilitate their engagement with the edges of the spacebands, the horizontal extensions 33 are slightly rounded at their free ends. The side faces of the inclined guide rails 3| and 32 also serve to maintain the spacebands in a truly vertical position until they are well advanced into the channel l2. The rails 3| and 32 will therefore not only insure the element of safety required in the use of hair spaces, but also will aid in preventing blockade of a composed line at the entrance to the upper transfer channel during a line transfer operation.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention has been shown merely in preferred form and obviously many changes in design and manner of application may be made Without departure from its spirit. It should be understood therefore that the invention is not limited to any specific form or embodiment except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a typographical distributing machine equipped with an upper transfer channel formed at the top throughout its length with a pair of horizontally disposed rails to support and guide spacebands by their projecting ears for return to their storage magazine and means for shifting endwise into said channel composed lines containing hair spaces, said hair spaces being free forlack of support to drop from the composed lines down through the channel for discharge therefrom, the combination of a quad box or tray arranged to receive the hair spaces as they are discharged from the channel, and downwardly inclined guide means located in the channel at the entrance end thereof and below the level of the lower ends of the hair spaces as they enter the channel, said inclined guide means being positioned to intercept hair spaces dropping through the channel from terminal positions in the composed lines and deflect the hair spaces endwise at a corresponding inclination into position for discharge into the quad box or tray.

2. A combination according to claim 1, including a horizontal rail-like shoulder located in the channel near the bottom thereof for deflecting the dropping hair spaces edgewise from the channel into the quad box or tray, and wherein the downwardly inclined guide means directs the dropping hair spaces intercepted thereby endwise against the deflecting shoulder for edgewise deflection into the quad box or tray.

3. In a typographical distributing machine equipped with an upper transfer channel formed at the top throughout its length with a pair of horizontally disposed rails to support and guide spacebands by their projecting ears for return to their storage magazine and means for shifting endwise into said channel composed lines con-' taining hair spaces, said hair spaces being free for lack of support to drop from the composed lines down through the channel for discharge therefrom, the combination of a quad box or tray. a horizontal rail-like deflecting shoulder formed on the rear wall of the channel near the bottom thereof and adapted to deflect the dropping hair spaces edgewise from the channel into the quad box or tray, and a pair of inclined guide rails located on the front and rear walls of the channel, respectively, near the entrance end thereof, said guide rails extending downwardly to the horizontal deflecting shoulder from a level below that of the lower ends of the hair spaces as they enter the channel, and said guide rails being positioned in the path of hair spaces dropping from terminal positions in the composed lines so as to intercept said hair spaces and direct them endwise at a corresponding inclination against the deflecting shoulder for edgewise deflection into the quad box or tray.

4. A combination according to claim 3, wherein the hair spaces are formed with upper and lower projecting ears, and wherein the downwardly inclined uide rails engage the spaces by both their upper and lower projecting ears in directing them endwise against the deflecting shoulder.

5. A combination according to claim 3, wherein the downwardly inclined guide rails at their upper ends are formed with short horizontal extensions lea-ding to the entrance end wall of the channel and which give momentary support to the hair spaces as they enter the channel to prevent them from dropping from the composed lines until after they have come within the range of action of the guide rails.

6. A combination according to claim 5, wherein both the downwardly inclined guide rails and their horizontal extensions present side faces which engage and guide spacebands at their opposite edges as they enter the channel.

7. A combination according to claim 3, wherein the channel is provided at the bottom with a centrally located guide rail which enters slots formed in the lower ends of spacebands, and wherein the inclined guide rails for the hair spaces extend downwardly to the level of said spaceband guide rail, both of said downwardly inclined guide rails presenting side faces which throughout their vertical extent engage and guide spacebands at their opposite edges as they enter the channel.

8.In or for a typographical distributing machine, an upper transfer channel formed at the top throughout its length With a pair of horizontally disposed rails to support and guide spacebands by their upper ears and provided near the bottom with a horizcnt'l rail-like: shoulder for deflecting hair spaces dropping. through the channel: edgewise through a front opening inthe channel and into a quad box or tray located below said opening, said channel being formed at its entrance end and on the inner faces of its front andrear wa1ls,- respectively, with a pair of downwardly-inclined guide rails for the hair spaces; seicl rails being arranged in a vertical zone defined: by the entrance end Wall of the channel and the adjacent end wall of the quad box or. tra-y and extending downwardly to the horizontal deflecting shoulder from at level below that of the lower ends of the hair spaces as they enter the channel, said inclined guide rails intercepting the falling hair spaces and directing them enclwise at a corresponding inclination against the deflecting shoulder for edgewise deflection into the quad box or tray.

9. upper transfer channelaccording to 8 claim 8, wherein the downwardly inczinecl guide rails for the hair spaces are formed at their upper ends with short horizontal extensions bridging a short gap between the upper ends of said rails and the entrance end Wall of the channel.

FREDERICK HAHN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number v Name Date 557,541 Berri Apr. 7, 1896 679,479 Muehleisen July 30, 1901 1,072,653 Rogers Sept. 9, 19153 OTHER REFERENCES The Intertype, published by Inter-type Corp, Brooklyn, N. Y., 1943; page 20%. (Copy in Div. 

